Agile Government Leadership

GMIS, AGL form partnership to bring Agile awareness to state, local governments

GMIS, AGL form partnership to bring Agile awareness to state, local governments

We’re excited to announce a new partnership with GMIS International!

Here’s the official press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GMIS, AGL form partnership to bring Agile awareness to state, local governments

January 13, 2015 – GMIS International and Agile Government Leadership have joined together to bring awareness to Agile management practices and help state and local governments better address large scale technology project delivery challenges.

The collaboration includes the development of Agile resources, including an Agile government handbook, workshops, webinars and participation in the 2015 GMIS Annual Conference.

The Austin-based GMIS is an association of government IT leaders representing more than 500 members across U.S. cities, counties, states and internationally. AGL, established in 2014, is a professional network created by public and private sector leaders to help government and agencies better connect and understand issues around Agile methodologies and adoption.

“GMIS members are increasingly interested in optimizing IT project management processes, and this Agile partnership with AGL is the perfect fit to help facilitate this,“ said AGL Steering Committee member and Salt Lake City Chief Information Officer Bill Haight.

“State and local government organizations need to reinvent the way they do business by leveraging robust project and program management and the Agile Government Leadership and GMIS International partnership represents a natural pairing of expertise and innovation in IT,” said GMIS International President Matthew Wainwright.

Agile first established itself in 2001 when a group of project managers and technologists created the “Agile Manifesto” that incorporates 12 principles of iterative, user-focused, sustainable approach to project management.

While Agile has been widely adopted within the private sector, it still faces cultural and bureaucratic challenges inside government, where project life cycles typically adhere to a “waterfall” approach that entails a long-term specification process prior to actual production and development work is started.

Agile development has been formally adopted by a number of federal and state agencies, including Federal Communications Commission, General Services Administration, Census Bureau and Department of Homeland Security and city and state governments such as Salt Lake City and Maine.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the federal government alone has wasted billions on failed IT projects and, in a 2012 report, recommended to the U.S. chief information officer and CIO Council that they pursue Agile and modular approaches to technology project management.

About Agile Government Leadership

Agile Government Leadership is a community-powered network of agile government professionals.

Mission

By bringing applied Agile practices to government, we want to redefine the culture of local, state and federal public sector service delivery across all aspects of government. We will work with Agile professionals and organizations to support their work in getting Agile infused into government processes. We will foster a spirit of openness and mentor those new to Agile so that they have the necessary practical advice, resources, tools and community support for successful deployment. Through Agile Government Leadership, we will create a responsive, engaged government that more efficiently and effectively serves its citizens.

About GMIS International

Established in 1971, GMIS International is the most inclusive community of public sector IT professionals worldwide. With over 500 member agencies representing, city, county, state, and K-20 agencies across America, GMIS International represents the largest professional association of public sector IT leaders in the United States. GMIS International maintains relationships with six international organizations including Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom.